Matthew S. Bender

Overview

Matt Bender counsels real estate development and private equity companies throughout the country on corporate, tax and transactional real estate matters. In the corporate realm, he works with clients on general organizational structures, joint venture agreements, asset and equity purchase and sale agreements, private placements and tax-related issues. In his real estate transactional work, which often requires synthesis with corporate matters, he advises clients on acquisitions and dispositions of commercial, multifamily, mixed-use and industrial properties.

In addition to counseling clients through specific real estate deals, Matt often works as external in-house counsel, assisting clients with real estate matters, corporate governance issues and establishment of employee compensation structures. Matt’s experience includes work on opportunity zone projects, 1031 real estate exchanges, capital gains planning, and other tax-focused transactions.

Matt graduated with high honors from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he also served as the Candidacy Editor for the Denver Law Review. He currently serves on the firm’s Technology Committee, as well as the Community Committee.

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Experience

Representative experience includes:

• Represented a real estate investment and management company focused on a specific asset subclass in connection with multiple fund formations and acquisitions across the U.S.
• Represented an investment company in connection with negotiation of multiple joint ventures for qualified opportunity zone businesses and other real estate investments
• Represented a land owner in a multi-million dollar carry-back investment into the purchasing venture
• Assisted a family office with investment into electronics and technology companies
• Represented an investment company with private placements in excess of $30 million in equity
• Represented a foreign investment fund in the acquisition of over $125 million of multi-family real estate acquisitions across the southwestern U.S.
• Represented a developer in negotiating a co-GP joint venture for a mixed-use project in Denver, Colorado

Awards & Involvement

• Legal 500 – United States – Denver Elite: Corporate and M&A (2026)
• Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2024-2027)
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Real Estate Law
• Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Real Estate (2024)
• Frank L. Robinson Real Estate Law Scholarship (2016)
• Provost’s Scholarship

Jurisdiction

• State of Colorado

Education

• J.D., University of Denver Sturm College of Law (2017); Order of the Coif; Candidacy Editor, Denver Law Review
• B.S., Business Administration, Colorado State University (2012)

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